Cornwall’s hidden gems – Cawsand and Kingsand

I had a wonderful bank holiday in Cornwall, even though the weather and traffic wasn’t always on my side. Do NOT ever make the mistake we did, driving to Cornwall on the Saturday of the nightmare that is half term. 3 hours was added on to our journey and every rest stop was infested crowded with mothers running after their screaming children.

Despite this chaos, we found a peaceful getaway. We visited the popular stops on Cornwall’s north coast.

Padstow, seafood and cornish ice cream heaven, is a pretty, historical fishing port. Unfortunately we were hit by a full day of fog, keeping the sun captive.

Every street here boasts a selection of the “best” cornish ice cream and cornish tea. However, what makes Padstow so popular is Rick Stein’s famous seafood restaurant. An endless queue stood outside during lunch time, so we settled for cornish pasty.

Newquay did not deserve our time. It resembled Blackpool and nothing about the town appealed to any of my senses.

My favourite seaside town on the north coast, is St. Ives. Apart from nearly being mugged by a gang of seagulls, the town had an enchanting charm. Tip: Plan your meals in advance and if you want to bag a spot on one of the not so many restaurants or pubs by the beach, be sure to make reservations as it gets really busy!

However, my heart was stolen by Cornwall’s less touristic southwest end. Cawsand and Kingsand are small twin fishing villages and both joined through a narrow path, the prettiest street I saw in Cornwall/Devon. Hidden at the end of a side alley way you can see the quaint Cawsand church peaking through.

Kingsand was historically part of Devon before the borders changed. Kingsand beach is somewhat prettier than Cawsand’s, with a pretty pub on the coast, ideal for a cold white wine in the summer. These villages were not as covered with tourists like the north coast and that is what added to its beauty.

The cornish air had me constantly craving traditional cornish Pasties, something I have never been too keen on. However, in true cornish fashion, I had a pasty for lunch three days in a row. Absolutely no regrets.